A day before the first flight for Palestinians from southern Israel’s Ramon airport was scheduled to depart, it remained unclear whether the controversial plan would get off the ground.
Israel’s airport authority announced earlier this month that Ramon in the Negev desert, near the Red Sea city of Eilat, would begin allowing Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to travel on Turkish-operated flights to Antalya and Istanbul from 22 August.
The proposal is believed to be part of a package of goodwill measures from Israel to the Palestinians unveiled to the US president, Joe Biden, during his visit to the region last month, reportedly offered on the condition that the Palestinians withdraw their charge of war crimes at the international criminal court.
Officials in the West Bank city of Ramallah, however, have publicly rejected the plan, saying it has not been coordinated with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and bypasses the Palestinians’ right to a sovereign airport. Critics have said that Ramon, which opened in 2019, has struggled to attract international business.
Credit: theguardian.com
